Yesterday Vince covered this short film, named HowardCantour.com, by Shia LaBeouf, which turned out to be an obvious plagiarism of Daniel Clowes’ 2007 comic Justin M. Damiano. You can read Vince’s excellent run-down on the theft over at Filmdrunk.

Daniel Clowes’ Ghost World was awesome, and he has loads of fans, so I couldn’t believe LaBeouf thought he’d get away with this, especially since it’s not his first time at the rodeo. He seems to have learned nothing last time.

I’ve been checking on Shia LaBeouf’s verified Twitter account to see if/when he’d address this very obvious use of Daniel Clowes’ concept, visuals, and even unedited dialogue. Lo and behold, he tweeted this:

This came at the end of a series of apology tweets. If you want to go on an adventure, follow that link and read some of the comments, both from people slamming him and from sycophants who will defend anything. (Although, considering some of R. Kelly’s defenders, LaBeouf’s are mostly harmless fangirls.)

Copying isn’t particularly creative work. Being inspired by someone else’s idea to produce something new and different IS creative work. In my excitement and naiveté as an amateur filmmaker, I got lost in the creative process and neglected to follow proper accreditation. I’m embarrassed that I failed to credit @danielclowes for his original graphic novella Justin M. Damiano, which served as my inspiration. I was truly moved by his piece of work and I knew that it would make a poignant and relevant short. I apologize to all who assumed I wrote it. I deeply regret the manner in which these events have unfolded and want @danielclowes to know that I have a great respect for his work.

I f-cked up.

It’s going to take all our willpower to not bite Jake Fogelnest’s style and respond to the “I f-cked up” tweet with every movie in his filmography. Some set ups are just too vaudevillian.

They had better look out for mine, as well. It will be a book in which a teenage girl falls for a guy who is secretly a werewolf, but is pined after by another who is secretly a vampire. Shenanigans ensue. I shall call it ‘Dusk’.